Contents
A Note to Bitter Brits and Confused Americans …
The Dundies: Some Awards for Making this Book Possible
1 Screws and Nails: Paper Tigers and Moral Monsters in The Office (US)
Getting to Know Yourself: Some Species of Moral Failure
A Few Cases of Getting Things Right: Getting Unscrewed
Having the Patience of Toby: A Lesson About a Vagina
Someone Get The Lights (Oh No …)
Who Likes Rules? (Put Your Hand Down, Dwight!)
I Think We’ve Got A Problem … Don’t Tell Ryan!
So Who Wins? Somebody’s Gotta Win, Right?
3 Can Michael Ever Learn? Empathy and the Self-Other Gap (US)
How Clueless is Michael? Ping, Yankee Swap, and the “Faces of Scranton”
HERO: The Key to Curing Michael’s Cluelessness
Not Totally Clueless: Oscar, Phyllis, and the Client
That’s What She Said: A Catalogue of Kelly’s Lack of Consideration
The Root of Michael’s Problem: Firing Devon, Kevin’s Skin Cancer, and Dwight’s Concussion
Who Has Two Thumbs and Is Michael’s Friend: This Guy!
4 Leaving the Dice Alone: Pointlessness and Helplessness at Wernham-Hogg (UK)
What if Everyone Threw a Stapler Out the Window?
“It is the Wackiness I Can’t Stand”
5 The Virtues of Humor: What The Office Can Teach Us About Aristotle’s Ethics (UK)
David Brent: Regional Manager, Chilled-Out Entertainer, Buffoon
Gareth Keenan: Assistant (to the) Regional Manager, Territorial Army Lieutenant, Boor
Tim Canterbury: Senior Sales Clerk, Unrequited Lover, Ironic Wit
6 Pam and Jim on the Make: The Epistemology of Self-Deception (US)
Epistemology 101: A Crashed Crash-Course
How Very Much in Love They Still Are: Everyone Knows But Jim?
The Epistemology of Self-Deception
7 What Dwight Doesn’t Know Can’t Hurt Him—Or Can It? Deception and Self-Deception in The Office (US)
8 Authenticity or Happiness? Michael Scott and the Ethics of Self-Deception (US)
Aiming for Authenticity or Being Happy
Michael’s Illusions and Their Benefits
9 Humiliation in The Office (and at Home) (US)
Beyond High School Humiliation
Michael Scott: Dishing Out What He Cannot Take
Humiliation (not in The Office, but) at Home
Memo 3 Funny and Not-So-Funny Business
10 Laughter Between Distraction and Awakening: Marxist Themes in The Office (US)
The Class That Dare Not Speak Its Name
11 Being-in-The Office: Sartre, the Look, and the Viewer (US)
Pam Beesley’s Shame and the Camera’s Unwelcomed Look
David Brent’s Pride and the Welcomed Look of the Camera
12 A Boy Who Swims Faster than a Shark: Jean Baudrillard Visits The Office (UK)
Jean Baudrillard and Simulacra
Brentian Hyperreality: The Simulated Boss/Philosopher
The Fatal Strategy of Gareth Keenan
Jean Baudrillard Did Not Visit The Office
13 Stakeholders vs. Stockholders in The Office (US)
14 Attacking with the North: Affirmative Action and The Office (US)
Affirmative Action and Racial Diversity: “What have you got for us Ryan?”
Affirmative Action as an Effort to Eliminate Racism: “What you want? A cookie?”
Affirmative Action as Compensation: Injustice at the Ol’ Schrute Beet Farm
Affirmative Action as Reverse Discrimination: The Tale of Hank Tate
15 Darkies, Dwarves, and Benders: Political (In)Correctness in The Office (UK)
16 The Hostile Office: Michael as a Sexual Harasser (US)
“That is the law according to the rules.” (Dwight)
Filthy Emails and Inappropriate Jokes: Sexual Harassment as Wrongful Communication
“That’s what she said”: Sexual Harassment as Sex Discrimination
“Crossing the Line”: Harassment in the Workplace
17 The Obscene Watermark: Corporate Responsibility at Dunder-Mifflin (US)
Doesn’t Someone Need to be Fired?
A Boss is Like a Teacher, and I am Like the Cool Teacher
Memo 5 Philosophy at the Water Cooler …
18 For L’Amour: Love and Friendship in The Office (US)
“Who would you ‘do’?” Erotic Loving
“The perfect mate”: Ideal Philial Loving
“I’m friends with everybody in this office”: Friendly Loving
“I love everybody here”: Equal Loving
“We’re like family”: Family Loving
“I love you this many dollars worth”: Michael Scott and Love
“You need to have that crazy sexual tension to keep things interesting”
19 Look at the Ears! The Problem of Natural Kinds (UK)
The Argument Against Gareth’s Rationality
The Argument for Gareth’s Rationality
21 Being Your Self in The Office (US)
Michael’s (Dysfunctional) Family Values
22 Michael Scott is Going to Die (US)
Appendix A: From Our Office to Yours: The University of Scranton and The Office
Appendix B: Question: What Do You Need to Know About Dwight K. Schrute?